Lower Risk Of Unemployment Research Articles

Who is Replaced by Robots? Robotization and the Risk of Unemployment for Different Types of Workers

We study the effects of robotization on unemployment risk for different types of workers. We examine the extent to which robotization increases inequality at the skill level and at the occupational level using two theoretical frameworks: skill-biased technological change and task-biased technological change. Empirically, we combine worker-level data with information on actual investments in industrial robots. Zooming in on the German manufacturing industry, our multivariate results show that robotization affects different types of workers differently. We do not observe an increase in unemployment risk for low- and medium-skilled, but we find a considerably lower unemployment risk among high-skilled workers. Moreover, the unemployment risk is significantly higher in occupations with highly substitutable tasks, but only in industries that invest largely in robots.

Bariatric Surgery and Risk of Unemployment and Sickness Absence

Obesity is associated with adverse labor market outcomes. We examine whether undergoing bariatric surgery is associated with better labor market outcomes such as lower risks of unemployment and sickness absence. This is a register-based cohort study of 9126 patients undergoing bariatric surgery from 2005 to 2013 and a reference group of 10,328 individuals with obesity. Age: 18-60years, body mass index (BMI): 32-60kg/m2. Participants were either working, unemployed, or on sickness absence at baseline. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to account for baseline differences between the two groups. Relative risk ratios of labor market participation were estimated at 1year, 3years, and 5years of follow-up. Women who had undergone bariatric surgery had a higher risk of unemployment 1year (RRR = 1.20 (95% CI: 1.02-1.41)) and 5years (RRR = 1.23 (95% CI: 1.05-1.44)) after surgery; however, men with bariatric surgery had a lower risk of unemployment after 5years (RRR = 0.71 (95% CI: 0.55-0.92)). The risk of sickness absence was higher at all follow-up time points for both men and women who had undergone bariatric surgery compared with non-operated references with obesity. Men undergoing bariatric surgery had a lower risk of unemployment 5years after surgery compared with non-operated men with obesity; however, women presented a higher risk of unemployment after 5years. The risk of sickness absence was higher for both men and women up to 5years after undergoing bariatric surgery.

Effects of age on psychosocial working conditions and future labour market marginalisation: a cohort study of 56,867 Swedish twins

PurposePrevious studies have reported an elevated risk of sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) due to adverse psychosocial working conditions, yet the influence of age and familial factors on the associations have not been examined. We aimed to investigate associations between psychosocial working conditions and labour market marginalisation (LMM) in terms of unemployment, SA and DP adjusting for familial confounding and possible differences in these associations with different age groups and different unemployment and sick leave days.MethodsAll twins living in Sweden in 2001, aged 16–64 years and not on old-age pension or DP were included (n = 56,867). The twins were followed from 2002 to 2016 regarding unemployment, SA and DP. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed for the whole sample, and for discordant twin pairs, in five age groups.ResultsEach one-unit increase in job demands and job control was associated with a lower risk of unemployment, SA and DP in all age groups. Moreover, each one-unit increase in social support was associated with an increased risk of 1–30 days unemployment in individuals older than 45 years and SA and DP. Social support decreased the risk of unemployment longer than 365 days in age groups 16–25 and 36–45 years. In the discordant twin pair analyses, the estimates attenuated towards statistical non-significance.ConclusionEven though familial factors seem to influence the associations between psychosocial working conditions and LMM, improving psychosocial working conditions by for example promoting high job control and social support at workplace may reduce the risk of future short- and long-term LMM in all age groups.

From working on recovery to working in recovery: Employment status among a nationally representative U.S. sample of individuals who have resolved a significant alcohol or other drug problem

Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders exact a prodigious annual economic toll in the United States (U.S.), driven largely by lost productivity due to illness-related absenteeism, underemployment, and unemployment. While recovery from AOD disorders is associated with improved health and functioning, little is known specifically about increases in productivity due to new or resumed employment and who may continue to struggle. Also, because employment can buffer relapse risk by providing structure, meaning, purpose, and income, greater knowledge in this regard would inform relapse prevention efforts as well as employment-related policy. We conducted a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of the U.S. adult population assessing persons who reported having resolved an AOD problem (n = 2002). Weighted employment, unemployment, retirement, and disability statistics were compared to the general U.S. population. Logistic and linear regression models tested for differences in employment and unemployment among demographic categories and measures of well-being. Compared to the general U.S. population, individuals who had resolved an AOD problem were less likely to be employed or retired, and more likely to be unemployed and disabled. Certain recovering subgroups, including those identifying as black and those with histories of multiple arrests, were further disadvantaged. Conversely, certain factors, such as a higher level of education and less prior criminal justice involvement were associated with lower unemployment risk. Despite being in recovery from an AOD problem, individuals continue to struggle with obtaining employment, particularly black Americans and those with prior criminal histories. Given the importance of employment in addiction recovery and relapse prevention, more research is needed to identify employment barriers so that they can be effectively addressed.

Health, work and demographic factors associated with a lower risk of work disability and unemployment in employees with lower back, neck and shoulder pain

BackgroundChronic musculoskeletal pain affects over 20% of the adult population and is one of the most common reasons for sick leave in Sweden. The aim of this study was to investigate which demographic, health and psychosocial work environment factors are of importance for a lower risk of future work disability and unemployment among workers with low back pain (LBP) and/or neck shoulder pain (NSP), and if familial factors influence these associations.MethodsAll 5556 persons that reported having LBP and/or NSP in a web-based questionnaire study in 2004–2006 were included. They were followed up for work disability (sick leave > 90 days or disability pension), and unemployment (> 180 days in a year) until 31 December 2013. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using cox proportional hazard models of the whole sample, adjusting for covariates. In addition, co-twin analyses of outcome discordant twin pairs were conducted to assess the impact of familial confounding on the associations.ResultsBeing male, 19–28 years old, having higher education, only NSP, no history of depression or anxiety, good self-rated health, low job demands and high job control were associated with a lower risk of work disability (adjusted HR ranging between 0.29–0.85). No history of anxiety and depression and high job control was associated with a lower risk of unemployment (adjusted HR ranging from 0.53 and 0.67). Familial factors were found to affect the association between education and work disability, but none of the other associations investigated.ConclusionsAmong those with LBP or NSP, good health in terms of mental- and self-rated health, few pain sites, as well as good psychosocial working conditions seem to indicate a lower risk for work disability.

The gendered effects of substance use on employment stability in transitional China

ABSTRACTSubstance use is often thought to harm employment prospects, an assumption challenged by the anomaly that people who use licit substances such as alcohol and tobacco are sometimes at a lower risk of unemployment. We argue that employment stability may benefit from the socialisation afforded through using licit substances, particularly in a context where licit substance use is encouraged. Furthermore, because the norms associated with substance use often reflect the gender hierarchy in a society, the impact of substance use on employment stability may be contingent on an individual's gender. Applying Cox proportional hazard modelling to a panel dataset during the critical two decades of China's market-based transition (1991–2011), we found that the impact of substance use on unemployment hazards varies depending on the dosage of the use and the gender of the users. Compared to abstinence, moderate alcohol-drinking reduces the risk of unemployment, and the reduction benefits especially men. The standalone effect of tobacco-smoking is to elevate unemployment hazards; however, this effect is heavily moderated by gender so that female smokers were penalised while male smokers were rewarded in the labour market. Such patterns cannot be explained by community-level modernisation progress and individual-level covariates.

Mid-life psychosocial work environment as a predictor of work exit by age 50.

ObjectivesTo examine whether psychosocial work characteristics at age 45 years predict exit from the labour market by the age of 50 years in data from the 1958 British Birth Cohort.MethodsPsychosocial work characteristics (decision latitude, job demands, job strain and work social support at 45 years and job insecurity at 42 years) measured by questionnaire were linked to employment outcomes (unemployment, retirement, permanent sickness, homemaking) at 50 years in 6510 male and female participants.ResultsLow decision latitude (RR = 2.01, 95%CI 1.06,3.79), low work social support (RR = 1.96, 95%CI 1.12,3.44), and high job insecurity (RR = 2.27, 95%CI 1.41, 3.67) predicted unemployment at 50, adjusting for sex, housing tenure, socioeconomic status, marital status, and education. High demands were associated with lower risk of unemployment (RR = 0.50, 95%CI 0.29,0.88) but higher risk of permanent sickness (RR = 2.14, 95%CI 1.09,4.21).ConclusionsKeeping people in the workforce beyond 50 years may contribute to both personal and national prosperity. Employers may wish to improve working conditions for older workers, in particular, increase control over work, increase support and reduce demands to retain older employees in the workforce.

Labor unemployment insurance and firm cash holdings

This paper presents evidence that firms conserve cash to manage employees' perceptions of the risk of becoming unemployed. Employing a matched sample design and using state level changes in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to proxy for unemployment risk, we test the hypothesis that cash holdings and unemployment risk are positively related. We find an economically and statistically significant decrease in cash holdings after an increase in UI benefits (i.e., lower unemployment risk). Robust to alternative specifications, our findings also suggest that the positive relation between cash holdings and unemployment risk is more pronounced for firms that are more labor intensive, have a high layoff propensity, have a higher fraction of low-wage workers, and are in industries with a higher fraction of UI recipients. Overall, our results are consistent with the idea that cash holdings are affected by not only shareholders but also other stakeholders: namely employees.

Unemployment in Selected EU Countries

The aim of this paper is to compare the dynamic of unemployment in the years 2000-2014 in selected EU countries. The subject of the present analysis is unemployment in total population and in subpopulations identified on the basis of gender, age, and education. The notion of unemployment rate was used throughout, and its values were taken from the Internet database Eurostat. The analysis conducted makes it possible to draw the following conclusions. The differentiation of total unemployment rate among the selected EU countries was very high, and the shape of the curves reflected the impact of economic crisis. Around 2010 many countries saw stabilising tendencies (with the exception of Greece and the countries located in the Iberian Peninsula). In the countries with low unemployment rates the surplus of female unemployment is giving way to a gender balance, or even a slight surplus of male unemployment. Among the selected age categories, the youngest group was and continues to be most heavily affected by the situation on the labour market. A high level of education is still correlated with a lower risk of unemployment; nevertheless the growing differences between the countries constitute a troubling trend.

The Effect of Announced Downsizing on Workplace Performance: Evidence from a Retail Chain

We estimate the effect of downsizing announcement on workplace performance using data from a German bakery chain of 193 shops. Faced with intensified competition, the firm decided to sell or close down 57 of its worst performing shops. We identify the effect of downsizing from a plausibly exogenous variation in the timing of the sale or closure announcement in the individual shops. We find that the announcements of the shop being sold to a new owner and being closed down reduce sales by six and 21 percent, respectively. The negative effect of downsizing increases with the share of workers with a permanent contract, even though permanent workers faced a much lower unemployment risk. We relate our findings to the literatures on downsizing and psychological contract.

Do as you’re told! Facets of agreeableness and early adult outcomes for inner-city boys

With data from the middle cohort of the Pittsburgh Youth Study, a prospective longitudinal study of inner-city boys, we examined whether Big Five agreeableness facets could be reliably recovered in this sample, and whether facets predicted educational, occupational, social, and antisocial life outcomes assessed a decade later. Caregivers described their adolescent boys’ personalities using the Common California Q-Set; twelve years later, participants were interviewed and court records were obtained. Factor analyses recovered two facets: compliance and compassion. Compliance predicted more schooling and lower risk of unemployment, teenage fatherhood, and crime; compassion related to longer committed relationships. Findings highlight the value of studying personality at the facet level.

Reduction in the Long-Term Unemployment of the Elderly: A Success Story from Finland

In Finland the elderly unemployed are allowed to collect unemployment benefits up to the age of 60, when they can retire via a particular unemployment pension. In 1997 the eligibility age of persons benefiting from this scheme was raised from 53 to 55. We consider changes in the risk of unemployment, unemployment durations, and the exit states before and after the reform. In the duration analysis a flexible treatment design is adopted by allowing for quantile treatment effects. We apply three different non- and semiparametric methods, which all produce robust and coherent results. Since the reform the group aged 53-54 has had a lower risk of unemployment, shorter unemployment durations, and higher exit rates to employment, and it is no longer distinguishable from the group aged 50-52. We estimate the amount of unemployment benefits saved due to the reform.

Reduction in the Long-Term Unemployment of the Elderly: A Success Story from Finland

In Finland the elderly unemployed are allowed to collect unemployment benefits up to the age of 60, when they can retire via a particular unemployment pension. In 1997 the eligibility age of persons benefiting from this scheme was raised from 53 to 55. We consider changes in the risk of unemployment, unemployment durations, and the exit states before and after the reform. In the duration analysis a flexible treatment design is adopted by allowing for quantile treatment effects. We apply three different non- and semiparametric methods, which all produce robust and coherent results. Since the reform the group aged 53-54 has had a lower risk of unemployment, shorter unemployment durations, and higher exit rates to employment, and it is no longer distinguishable from the group aged 50-52. We estimate the amount of unemployment benefits saved due to the reform.

Scientific medical research and publication in Nigeria

and for the absolute poor, due to the vicious circle of poverty and ill-health 2 . Conversely, improvement in health will boost the individual's level of income (due to lower treatment cost, higher revenue, a longer term increase in revenue due to better work opportunities and overall growth in revenues due to longer life-expectancy). It will also improve the individual's capacity to acquire an education, increase the family's productive opportunities and greatly improve the psychological well-being of both the individual and family. The benefit of good health will be even greater for the absolute poor, as they may transform the vicious circle of poverty into a virtuous cycle, with better nutrition, lower risk of unemployment or underemployment, better housing, better use of training opportunities, higher productivity and overall, better control over their life situation and that of their family 2 . How good and beneficial a research finding may be, it can only be useful if shared with others. This is what communication of research findings is all about. Communication of research findings can be either in oral presentation in a conference/scientific meetings or presentation in a written form otherwise known as publication. There are three main types of publications - Thesis or dissertation, Book or Monograph and a Journal Article. The aim of this presentation is to review the logical steps in scientific medical research, discuss the types of publications, identify challenges in research and publication in Nigeria and proffer some solution to overcome these challenges.